Dual direction windmill pump for geared turbofan engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167873-B2
Application number	US-201415021293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A lubrication system includes a shaft rotatable about an axis, a lubrication pump configured to supply a lubricant flow to a gear system, and a gear train coupled to the shaft and configured to drive the lubrication pump in a first direction responsive to rotation of the shaft in both the first direction and a second direction. A gas turbine engine and method are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas turbine engine comprising: a fan section including a shaft gear disposed on a fan shaft rotatable about an axis; a fan drive gear system driving the fan shaft; a lubrication pump configured to supply a lubricant flow to the fan drive gear system; and a gear train coupled to the shaft gear and configured to drive the lubrication pump in a first direction responsive to rotation of the shaft gear in both the first direction and a second direction, the gear train having a primary gear driven by the shaft gear, the primary gear driving a pinion gear that drives a pump shaft gear when rotating in the first direction and a first reverse gear that drives a reverse idler gear that drives the pump shaft gear when the shaft gear rotates in the second direction.

2. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the primary gear is coupled to drive a primary gear shaft that drives the pinion gear responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the first direction and decouples from the primary gear shaft responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the second direction.

3. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2 , including a primary overrunning clutch coupling the primary gear to the primary gear shaft during rotation in the first direction.

4. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 2 , wherein the pinion gear is configured to drive the lubrication pump.

5. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first reverse gear is coupled to a reverse gear shaft responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the second direction and decoupled from the reverse gear shaft responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the first direction.

6. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5 , including a reverse overrunning clutch for coupling the first reverse gear to the reverse gear shaft during rotation of the fan shaft in the second direction.

7. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 5 , including the reverse idler gear driven by the first reverse gear and configured to drive the lubrication pump.

8. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the lubrication pump comprises one of a gear pump, gear rotor pump, and a vane pump.

9. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fan drive gear system includes at least one gear supported by a journal bearing.

10. A gas turbine engine comprising: a geared architecture; a fan shaft to rotate about an axis with the geared architecture; a lubrication pump configured to supply a lubricant flow to the geared architecture; and an input gear train coupled to the fan shaft and configured to drive the lubrication pump in a first direction responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in both of the first direction and a second direction, the input gear train having a primary gear driven by a shaft gear disposed on the fan shaft, the primary gear driving a pinion gear that drives a pump shaft gear when rotating in a first direction and a first reverse gear that drives a reverse idler gear that drives the pump shaft gear when the shaft gear rotates in the second direction.

11. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein rotation of the fan shaft in a non-powered condition of the gas turbine engine drives the input gear train in one of the first direction and the second direction.

12. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 11 , wherein the primary gear is coupled to drive a primary gear shaft through a primary clutch responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the first direction and decoupled from the primary gear shaft responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the second direction.

13. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 12 , wherein the first reverse gear is coupled to a reverse gear shaft through a reverse clutch responsive to rotation of the fan shaft in the second direction and decoupled from the reverse gear shaft responsive to rotation of the an fan shaft in the first direction.

14. The gas turbine engine as recited in claim 10 , wherein the fan shaft is in communication with a fan, and the fan shaft rotates in each of the first direction and the second direction responsive to fan windmilling.

15. A method of lubricating a geared architecture comprising: driving a lubricant pump responsive to rotation of a fan shaft in a non-powered condition; and generating a lubricant flow with the lubricant pump to portions of a geared architecture; wherein the lubricant pump generates the lubricant flow responsive to the fan shaft rotating in a first or second direction.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , including rotating a primary gear with a gear disposed on the fan shaft, the primary gear driving a pinon gear that drives a pump shaft gear of the lubricant pump when rotating in a first direction and a first reverse gear that drives a reverse idler gear that drives the pump shaft gear upon rotation of the fan shaft in a second direction.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , including directing lubricant flow from the lubricant pump to at least one journal bearing.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Sheridan William G
• James Reade W
• Mastro Jacob Peter

Classifications

• F01D15/12

  Combinations with mechanical gearing (driven by multiple engines F01D13/00) · CPC title

• F02C7/32

  Arrangement, mounting, or driving, of auxiliaries · CPC title

• F01D21/00

  Shutting-down of machines or engines, e.g. in emergency; Regulating, controlling, or safety means not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• F04D25/028

  the driving means being a planetary gear · CPC title

• F16H57/04

  Features relating to lubrication or cooling {or heating} (control of lubrication or cooling in hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4165) · CPC title